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By the Numbers: 2020 (So Far…)

Despite the 2020 MLS season being put on pause, Minnesota United played some outstanding soccer to start the season. So to pass the time while we wait to get back in action, here are some numbers that stand out from the first two weeks.

100%: Ike Opara’s Scoring Percentage

Why shoot more than you have to? The defender has taken two shots, both of which were headed past San Jose goalkeeper Daniel Vega in the Week 2 win against San Jose. The brace was also Opara’s first multi-goal game since his pair against FC Cincinnati on June 29, 2019.

51.9%: MNUFC Accuracy

The Loons kept their shooting efficiency up from 2019 in the new year. Fourteen of their 27 shots have ended up on frame, making them the most accurate team in MLS.

8: Goals Scored by MNUFC

The Loons opened the season with a plethora of goals, scoring three on the Portland Timbers and five more against the San Jose Earthquakes. The goal total leads the league and makes Minnesota one of just two teams — Sporting KC is the other — with more than four goals this year.

5: Players with Multiple Points

Minnesota players have shared the love in terms of scoring with five different players getting their names on the scoresheet at least twice. Luis Amarilla (2G/1A), Kevin Molino (2G/1A) and Jan Gregus (1G/2A) lead the way by contributing to three goals each. Ike Opara (2G) and Ethan Finlay (2A) round out the contingent with two points each.

2: Game-Winning Goals from Luis Amarilla

Amarilla has found the back of the net twice in his first MLS season, both of which went on to be the game-winners of their respective games. A clever move on the back post led to a header that would put the Loons back in front of the Timbers in Week 1 for the first victory. His keen sense of awareness allowed him to lose his mark in the middle of the box and head home a service from Molino for the third of five goals against the Quakes. Only Atlanta’s Emerson Hyndman has matched Amarilla for the league lead in this category.